Fun with Marzipan

Marzipan fruits and veggies are easy to make. Cloves make stems for the oranges, and a tooth pick rolled along the carrots give them texture. A little marzipan stuffed into a date or dried apricot make delicious treats too.

 As a child, I remember trips to the German delicatessen in Seattle to pick out a special treat. At Christmastime, the store carried open faced sandwiches made entirely of marzipan. They looked so real - a thin layer of "rye bread" topped with red salami, or picture perfect sliced egg sandwiches. You can create just about anything with marzipan. My brother and I crafted simpler masterpieces in our own kitchen - red hearts cut with cookie cutters or multi-colored squares.

It's been nostalgic to make marzipan confections with my own son. (My older son can't partake - he's allergic to nuts.) We've had hours of fun with one roll of $6 marzipan we bought from the store. It comes plain, so just tear off a chunk and have fun with shapes and colors. It's a rich candy, so think small when you're making goodies. Two to four drops of food color will color enough marzipan for a handful of "carrots" or strawberries. The potatoes are very easy to make - roll an oval, poke a few "eyes" on the potato and roll it in cocoa powder that has a touch of powdered sugar in it.